Tucking attachment for knitting machines



H. E. KATZENMOYER. I TUCKINGATTACHMENT FOR KNITYING'FIIACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 3,1920.

3 SHkETS-SHEET H; E. KATZENMOY-ER. TUCKING ATTACHMENT FOR KNITTING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 8, I920.

Patented Jan. 17, 1922. 2. 3 $HtETSSIIEET 2.

5r [L615 (yang/5,

H. E. KATZENMOYER. TUCKING ATTACHP JIENT FOR KNITTING MACHINES. APP-EICATION mu) MAYE, 1920.

Patented Jan. 17, 192? 3 SHkEfS-SHEET No. 1.233.7H. dated July 17, 1917.

331. EZATMMQY ER, Q1 READING, PENESYLVA- WILLILWS, ING, SEE YORK. N. Y.,

EJE SIGNOR TO SCOTT AND A GQRIQQEEiTIQlZ 31 MASSACHUSETTS.

EUCKSZE ATTLGEHENT FER B ZAEHINES.

incense.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Ffatented J an. 1'7, 1922.

implication filed May 8, 19:20. Serial No. 32'5.?93.

5 the county of Berks, in theState of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful improved Tricking Attachments for Knitting Machines, of which the following is a specification.

a My. invention consists of an improved tucking attachment for knitting machines, more particularly adapted for use in the production of the fashioned seamless stocking which forms the subject of the Scott Patent Said patent shows a seamless stocking having at the back of. the leg two rows of distinguishing marks, which are preferably formed by tuck stitches, that is, ioops held up in given 20 wales and courses.

A convenient means for producing tuck stitches is that disclosed in the Brown Patent 642.579, February 6, 1900, and comprising the provision of needles with longer latches for knitting those wales in which the tuck stitches are to be produced than in the case of the needles for the wales in which no trick stitches are to be made. and in connection therewith is provided a movable ac clearing cam and mechanism to operate the cam so that at some courses all the needles will be moved to clear the stitches and at other times the needles will be projected only far enough to clear the stitches on the short latch needles and not those on the long latch needles. In the accompanying drawings I have shown a tuck-producing means of this type for illustration of my invention. but I do not limit myself to that type of tuck-producing means.

My invention cohsists more particularly in theprovision of improved means whereby tuck stitches may be formed in one: or a few successive courses at a time with a relatively larger number of intervening plain courses.

In the case of the machine illustrated this is controlled by the pattern means through mechanism operating on the movable clearing cam.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown/my improved tucking mechanism for application to one of the Well known Scott and Williams machines, employing arotating needle cylinder and stationary cam cylinder.

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of my attachment as applied to said mechanism;

Fig, 2 is a side elevation of a part thereof;

Fig. 3 is a view of a detail;

Fig. 4: is a view to illustrate the location of, and devices for acting on, the clearing cam;

Fig. 5 is an inside face view of the stitch cams; V

Fig. 6 illustrates long and short latch needles. I

In the case illustrated I have shown the leading stitch cam as the movable clearing cam, pivoting it at 51 and providing its free end with a pin 52 projecting to the exterior of the cam cylinder. This pin 52, as seen in Fig. l, rests upon the outer end of a lever-49 pivoted at 48 to a suitable bracket on the bed plate 10 of the machine, and con- \Vhen the rod 47 is not held in an olevoted position by this cam 8, this rod will stay in its lower position by gravity resting on the hub of the cam, and will elevate the end of the lever 49 which supports the free end of the switch cam 50 to keep the latter in its higher position shown by full lines in Fig. 5. When this cam is held in that position, the latch needles as well as the short latch needles will be projected far enough to clear their stitches. But when the cam 8 acts to raise the rod 47. the cam 50 will drop to the position indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 5, where the long latch needles will not be projected far enough to clear the loops, but the short latch needles will clear them. The pressure of the butts of the arriving needles may be depended on to cause the cam 50 to drop to the lower position when the lever 49 permits,'or a spring 46 (Fig. 4) carried y the arm 49 and bearing on the upper si e of the pin 52 may be employed if desired.- Y

The above mentioned controlling cam 8 is mounted to turn upon, a stud.5, carried by the arm of a bracket 2, which is m'cured to the frame 1 of the machine. Secured to or formed in one with this cam 8 iso ratchet wheel 6, illustrated as provided with eight teeth, one of which, shown by the dotted lines back of the cam 8, (Fig. 2), 18 lower in height than the others. A friction spring engage a not .h 33 on the rod (Fig. 3).

washer 'w'may be interposed between-the bracket 2 and the ratchet (3.

To act upon this ratchet wheel 6., I provide a pawl lever 16 with a spring-pressed pawl 15, Fig. 2. During the operation of the knitting machine this pawl lever is caused toconstantly vibi'ate on its pivot by the action of a spring 19 and a cam 18 on the main shaft of the machine, with which the knitting head rotates in unison, so that so long as the pawl 15 can engage the teeth of the ratchet wheel 6, thelatter (and therefore the controlling cam) will be moved to to the extent of one tooth of the ratchet at every revolutionof the knittin head.

In the case illustrated I have s own the cam 8 (Fig. 2) as of sutiicient length to hold the rod 47 elevated for two revolutions of the knitting head and therefore the tuck" stitch-es to be held for two courses, while for the remaining six movements of the ratchet wheel 6 and therefore for'six courses of the knitting, the cam 50 will be held elevatedto clear the stitches on all the needles and produce plain knitting. Any desired ratio of tuck stitches to plain stitches can be brought about by increasing or decreasing the number of teeth in the ratchet wheel 6 and by increasing or diminishing the length of the cam 8.

In combination with the above described mechanism for moving the clearing cam to and from the tucking'position at irregular intervals, I provide means under the control of the pattern chain for automatically putting said intermittent tucking mechanism into and out of operatiom'so that these tuck stitches may be formed only at the desired part of the. length of the stocking or other article being knitted.

For this purpose I provide means under the control of the pattern chain 21 for holding the pawl 15 out of reach of the low tooth of the ratchet wheel 6 when the intermittent tucking is not to .take place. On the pawl 15 is provided 'a pin or other projection 14, 'over-whichlies the curved finger 13 of a lever 11 whichis pivoted at 12 (Fig. 1) to the arm 3 of the bracket 2. The other end of this lever 1'1 has pivoted'to it a rod'19 guided in a bracket 20, on the frame of the machine and having its lower end over the links of the pattern chain 21. A coiled spring a (Fig. 1) is employed to tend to draw this rod 19 downwardly towards the attern chain, but the rod may be held in its elevated position by a latch 25 pivoted at 26 to the frame and having a tooth 32 to A spring 26 tends to push the latch towards the rod 19. The lower end of the latch 25,

' the needles to clear the stitches.

however, lies in the path of a pin or pins 34 on the side of the pattern chain 21, (Fig. 1) so that as the pattern chain travels in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 3, this pin 34 coming into contact with the latch 25 will disengage the latter from the rod 19, and the latter will drop.

'hen the rod 19 is in its upper position and held there by the'latch 25, the finger 13 on the lever 11 will hold the vibrating pawl 15 out of engagement with the lowest tooth.

of the ratchet wheel 6, but not far enough away to prevent engagement of the pawl with the other teeth of the ratchet wheel 16. Consequently'when the pawl ceases to operatethe ratchet, the cam 8 will be out of contact with the rod 47 and the stitch cam 50 will be in its higher position to cause all When, however, the point has been reached where the intermittent tucking is to take place, a pin 34 on the pattern chain 21 (Fig. 1) will contact with the latch 25, throw it free of the rod 19 which will drop, and so release the vibrating pawl 15 to engage thelowest tooth of the ratchet as well as the others and turn the earn 8 tooth by-tooth to cause the intermittent tucking.

When this intermittent tucking is to cease, a lug 35 (Figs; 1 and 3) on one of the links of the pattern chain, will act upon the lower end of the rqd 19 to lift it and the'latch 25 will at oncefldrop into holding engagement with this rod and latch the latter in its elevated position, and thereby the finger 13 on the lever 11 will depress the pawl 15 to a position where it cannot reach the lowest tooth of the ratchet 6 and this latter will come to a position of rest with cam 8 out of contact with the rod 47, and the clearing cam 50 therefore elevated for plain knittin claim as my invention 1. A knitting machine having needles, some of which are adapted to be used for tucking, and a movable clearing cam thereforv in combination with mechanism for moving said cam to and from the tucking position, said mechanism including a cam to control the clearin cam, a ratchet wheel combined with said controlling cam and having high teeth and a low tooth, a vibrating pawl to actuate said ratchet wheel and means to hold the pawl in the path of the high teeth but out of reach of the low tooth of the ratchet wheel.

2. A knitting machine having needles, some of which are adapted to be used for tucking, and a movable clearing cam therefor in combination with mechanism for moving said cam'to and from the tucking position,'said mechanism including a cam to control the clearing cam, a ratchet wheel combined with said controlling cam and-having high teeth anda low tooth a vi :ating move the clearing cum to and fmni the tuclz- 10 ing position a ratchet wheel combined with said cam means, a vibratingpawl to act'uata L 9 said ratchet wheeh latch (leviccs to hold the 1 all of the ratchet wheel. pawl out of action and a pattern mechanism i; knitting machine haying nueilles, to disengage and engage the latch.

same m which are adapted to he used for In testimony whereof I have signal my tucking and a movable clearing cam thei'ename to this specification.

in combinasirin with a cam means to HARRY E. KATZENMO 

